LIAM PATRICK KEARNEY
Chesterfield County Public Schools
Richmond,VA
1
Certification
5
years of professional experience
Dedicated Early Childhood Special Education professional with four years of experience in family-centered educational programming and interdisciplinary collaboration. Currently pursuing a Master of Education while completing an Early Intervention externship. Expertise in leading IEP meetings, conducting home visits, and coordinating services to enhance developmental outcomes for children with disabilities. Committed to fostering family partnerships and utilizing evidence-based practices in natural environments.
Work History
Graduate Early Intervention Extern
7 Months- Completing a 200-hour graduate externship within Chesterfield County's Early Intervention Program, with more than 150 clinical hours completed.
- Shadowed developmental specialists while delivering family-centered early intervention services in home and community settings, contributing to individualized support for families.
- Coached caregivers by sharing intervention ideas and developmental strategies during family visits, enhancing family engagement in early intervention.
- Participated in caregiver coaching by contributing intervention ideas and developmental strategies during family visits.
- Shadow developmental specialists while providing family-centered early intervention services during home visits and community-based settings.
- Observe multidisciplinary developmental evaluations, autism assessments, IFSP meetings, annual IFSP renewals, and eligibility discussions.
- Gained firsthand experience through active involvement in interdisciplinary collaboration efforts. with interdisciplinary collaboration, developmental screening, referral processes, family coaching, and community resource coordination.
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
4 Years 7 Months- Develop, write, and maintain all Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) while ensuring compliance with IDEA regulations, annual review timelines, reevaluation requirements, and educational documentation.
- Manage a caseload of eight preschool students with developmental disabilities including autism spectrum disorder, developmental delays, Down syndrome, physical disabilities, speech-language delays, and multiple disabilities.
- Schedule, organize, and facilitate IEP meetings while collaborating with families, administrators, and multidisciplinary team members.
- Prepare quarterly progress reports and maintained comprehensive student records using Excel-based data systems, anecdotal documentation, and individualized progress monitoring tools to track student growth.
- Monitored student behavior data and coordinated with behavior specialists and Virginia Commonwealth University's T-TAC program to ensure timely access to intensive behavioral supports.
- Conduct monthly home visits to strengthen family relationships, support developmental progress in natural environments, and promote continuity between home and school.
- Prepare quarterly progress reports and maintain comprehensive student records using Excel-based data systems, anecdotal documentation, and individualized progress monitoring tools.
- Conduct monthly home visits for every student to strengthen relationships with families, support developmental progress within natural environments, and promote continuity between home and school.
- Build trusting partnerships with families through proactive communication, weekly classroom updates, developmental progress discussions, educational resources, and individualized recommendations.
- Guide families through educational transitions by helping caregivers understand evaluation results, school expectations, and future placement options.
- Collaborate closely with ABA providers, outpatient therapists, and community professionals to ensure consistent intervention strategies across environments.
- Selected as a Mentor Teacher for a graduate practicum student based on consistently strong CLASS observation scores and instructional effectiveness.
- Model effective instructional practices, classroom organization, family communication, and collaborative problem-solving for aspiring educators.
Education
Master of Education - Early Childhood Special Education
- Relevant Graduate Coursework
- Family & Professional Partnerships
- Language & Communication Intervention
- Assessment of Individuals with Disabilities
- Interdisciplinary Methods
- Behavior Support
- Integrated Early Childhood Programs
- Infant Internship
- Advanced Educational Psychology
- Literacy Development
- Mathematics Programming for Individuals with Disabilities
- GPA: 3.844
Bachelor of Science - Homeland Security, Criminal Justice
Skills
Early Intervention
Family-Centered Practice
Service Coordination
Case Management
Home Visiting
Child Development
Family Coaching
Community Resource Navigation
IEP development
IFSP expertise
Developmental Assessment
Progress Monitoring
Parent Education
Transition Planning
Collaborative Practices
Instructional Leadership
Accomplishments
- Virginia VQB5 Excellence Honor Roll Classroom (2024–2025), recognizing excellence in teacher-child interactions and classroom quality.
- Successfully manage all IEP development, compliance, scheduling, and progress reporting responsibilities for a full ECSE caseload.
- Developed highly engaging, individualized learning experiences by incorporating children's strengths and interests into evidence-based instruction, resulting in increased participation, communication, and developmental growth.
- Designed interdisciplinary thematic learning units integrating literacy, communication, fine motor, gross motor, adaptive, cognitive, and social-emotional development through meaningful, play-based experiences.
- Recognized by program leadership for professionalism, initiative, and collaborative practice while completing a graduate externship within Chesterfield County's Infant Program.
Certification
- Virginia Provisional Teaching License – Early Childhood Special Education
- Early Intervention Initial Certification (17 Hours of Professional Development)
Timeline
Graduate Early Intervention Extern
Chesterfield County Infant Program
01.2026 - CurrentRead More
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Chesterfield County Public Schools
01.2022 - CurrentRead More
Virginia Commonwealth University
Master of Education from Early Childhood Special Education
Read More
Virginia Commonwealth University
Bachelor of Science from Homeland Security, Criminal Justice
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PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES
- Exceptional relationship builder with children, families, and interdisciplinary professionals.
- Strong organizational skills with extensive experience managing compliance timelines, documentation, and case management responsibilities.
- Calm, empathetic communicator who supports families through challenging transitions with professionalism and compassion.
- Creative problem solver who develops engaging, individualized learning experiences based on children's strengths and interests.
- Collaborative leader committed to continuous learning, teamwork, and improving outcomes for children and families.